Test of Time

Grace Bible Church

Test of Time

June 12, 2022 • Mike Burt • James 1:5–12

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less.” C.S. Lewis

Who asks for a hard time? It is our selfish nature to think first of ourselves. Most seek the shortest line at the grocery store or the easier slope of the hill or the lightest burden to carry – James says that a man is blessed by going through the trials of life. Our prayers are too often – ‘God fix this!’ when God is saying from Heaven ‘go through this and I will be with you!’ Trials are really not the problem, because we are always going to have them - so it’s really how we respond that is the problem. We can take two approaches to trials, we can either complain about them, or learn from them. In both cases we have to face trials but the outcome can be very different. If we face our trials with complaint and contempt, we will end up resentful and bitter.

Our attitude after our trials will be worse than before we entered them. Trials are like a refining fire and either we will be burned up or refined and made more pure by them. God’s intent is that when we face our trials with faith in Him, we can learn from them.

Sunday I will be talking about what we need (not what we like) and what we do not need (even if we do like it) and how to grow through trials.

Big Group this – grab a name tag and invite someone to join you or once you are here find someone to share lunch with after church.

Pastor Mike

What do you expect?

August 28, 2022 • Mike Burt • James 5:13–20

Pray for one another! “Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers.” J. Sidlow Baxter Prayer should be seeking the face of God and asking His will in our world. Too often, prayer is asking God to look in on us and get His blessing. World events, COVID, racial tensions, poverty, natural disasters, political uncertainties. All these cause us stress, concern and too often worry. However, God tell us that we have a divine outlet – prayer! As the final short message in James, the brother of Jesus encourages us to turn our heart toward heaven in prayer. Sunday we will focus on prayer – the expectations, the expressions and even a few errors. I know many of you will be at our Family Retreat so we will have the message recorded and available by the time you get back – check our website to wrap up this last chapter in James. “Pray and let God worry!” Martin Luther

Identity of a true Missionary

August 21, 2022 • Mike Burt • James 2:14–20

Home from Liberia, West Africa – God is Good! Sunday, I want to share what God is doing in the Churches of Liberia. What a great group of men and so many wonderful Church Families. I want to talk about missions from the perspective of James, the brother of Jesus. Missions of outreach and love going beyond boundaries, borders and comforts. I wanted to spend some time talking about what unites us as a Church. What brings us together as a Church. So, for that reason I wanted to jump all the way to the end of Romans, where we see Paul repeating to the church in Rome his reasons for writing them this long letter in the first place. Sunday morning, we are going to look at Romans 15:14-21 together. James told us that words or faith alone is not enough – deeds, obedience and action are called for! Paul gives us the three key elements to Mission – folks who are fruitful, faithful and focused. You prayed and God blessed – let me share some of that Sunday and let us all hear God’s call to the Great Commission! See you Sunday, Pastor Mike

Truly Rich

August 14, 2022 • Josh Burt • James 5:1–12

This Sunday we look at the first part of James, Chapter 5. James describes two extremes and their impacts. Here we see the James points out two things… First that this world can distract us from God, and second NOTHING this world can do is worth distracting us from God. We see God’s protection, provision, and purpose in these verses. We are continually reminded of His love and leading for what is truly most important. I hope, the same, as every Sunday, that we leave seeking Him together! We will take a look at the lessons that James wrote about here and will seek to apply them in our life as well. Patience is so hard! It is not just a hard lesson “learned” - it is hard to see the “purpose” of learning this lesson. Suffering is the same! But we are reminded of Christ in these times. Hebrews 5:8 "Although He was God’s Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered.” - We can not look at suffering simply in terms of lacking, losing, or loathsome - We need to see it as LEARNING to walk as He did. See you this Sunday! Pastor Josh